By Mahmoud Kamara.
A member of Parliament who doubles as the Chairman, Oversight Parliamentary Committee for Transport and Aviation, Honourable Ambrose Maada Lebbie on Friday 16th July, 2021 applauded the Minister of Transport and Aviation for what he described as “visionary leadership and support” to the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority in ensuring the production of a new digitalized driver’s license.
He made the commendation at the launching of the “Newly developed securitized biometric driver’s license’’ at the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority Headquarters at Kissy Road in Freetown.
Honourable Lebbie expressed elation over the wisdom and vision of the Minister in ensuring that the Management and MIS team of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) internally designed a digitalized driver’s license without hiring a foreign consultant.
“One of His Excellency President Bio commitments during the campaign was to cut down on wastages and leakages in Government’s Institutions, with the wisdom of the Honourable Minister over his watch, the Management and MIS team of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority were able to produce a new biometric driver’s license without paying thousands of dollars to foreign or domestic consultant, this resonate the vision of the President.” Honourable Lebbie maintained.
He said the Management and Staff of the Sierra Leone Road Safety have added more value to the institution and save more money for the nation.
He assured the Minister of his Oversight Parliamentary Committee’s commitment and supports in ensuring the development of the road transport sector, adding that their doors are always open for engagement and consultation.
The Head of License of the Sierra Leone Road safety Authority (SLRSA), Assanatu Mansaray also complemented the statement of the Honourable Lebbie. She noted the inflicting support of the Minister in ensuring the production of a first ever digitalized driver’s license in Sierra Leone.
She assured the Minister and the Inspector General of Police of the benefits the new driver’s license will bring, adding that it will ease the issue of driver’s license identification during investigation.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Transport and Aviation, Kabineh Kallon expressed exhilaration over the hard work and dedication by the Management and staff in putting the design together to produce a new digitalized driver’s license.
He emphasized that it is high time other Government Agencies started undertaking technical assignment without hiring external consultants.
He expressed his Ministry’s commitment and support in ensuring that the Management achieve its objectives in the development of the transport sector. He noted that the road transport sector is key and plays a pivotal role in the socio-economic development of the country.
He admonished staff of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority especially the Traffic Wardens to behave professional in discharging their duties, noting that they represent the institution and the country in general.
The Minister called on the general public to comply and cooperate with the new digitalized system of driver’s license when launched, adding that with the advance technology , digital space has taken the way we do things.
In his statement, the Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), Ibrahim Sannoh thanked the Minister for his leadership role and support to his administration, citing a challenge the Minister once posed to him to change the old driver’s license to an advanced one.
“The newly developed securitized biometric driver’s license is an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certified driver’s license, that is the highest standard bureau committee in the world based in UK acknowledge the features of the new drivers’ license”, Sannoh disclosed.
He maintained that the era of fake license in Sierra Leone is over, adding that the new driver’s license captures the biometric data of an individual, and has unique security features.
The program started with a presentation on highlighting the features of the new drivers’ license by the Management Information System (MIS) Analyst of (SLRSA) Glan Cole and it was climaxed with an official launch of the Exhibition of the new drivers’ license by the Honourable Minister and the Inspector General of Police.
